They did such an effective job hyping her appearance that more than 100 people, described by party leaders as an unprecedented turnout, showed up.

Then Buono, hopelessly snared in a traffic jam 90 miles away on the New Jersey Turnpike, phoned in her regrets to organizers. The audience did not get the bad news until the three-hour convention was nearly over.

That prompted some grumbling about just what went wrong, and also, at what point did party leaders realize Buono would not appear?

Ed Selby, executive director of the Sussex Democrats, said the first hint of possible trouble came via a phone call from a Buono campaign staffer one hour before the 2 p.m. start.

Selby was told Buono would not arrive until 4:30 p.m., 30 minutes before the scheduled end.

Considering Buono would be coming from a luncheon about 100 miles away in Voorhees, that would be cutting it very close, but Selby remained optimistic.

Selby said, "4:30 would have been perfect timing," envisioning Buono walking through the front door just as the votes endorsing her were being tabulated.

Then, at 4:15 p.m., came the sledgehammer second call canceling her visit, Selby said.

Reached for comment, David Turner, Buono's campaign spokesman, said an accident near Exit 7 on the Turnpike was to blame.

Asked about Turnpike conditions that day, State Police said a three-vehicle accident on the northbound side, about three miles from Exit 7, was reported at 2:57 p.m.

While no life-threatening injuries were reported, glass shattered across all lanes and traffic for a time was limited to the left highway shoulder.

Buono, the presumptive Democratic nominee against Republican Gov. Chris Christie, had a jam-packed schedule that morning and afternoon, leaving no margin for error. Even if traffic had been light, getting to Sussex County was chancy.

Turner said Atlantic County Democrats endorsed Buono at a convention starting at 9:30 a.m. in Egg Harbor Township, about a 90-mile drive from the candidate's Metuchen home.

From there, Buono, who uses a campaign driver, headed back north on the Garden State Parkway to collect a second endorsement at the Ocean County Democratic convention, located about 50 miles away in Toms River.

Next up, Buono attended an event in Voorhees, 43 miles from Toms River, Turner said. The Southern New Jersey Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women was holding its annual Candace Women of Achievement awards ceremony and luncheon.

Turner said the candidate fell further behind schedule as the morning progressed into the early afternoon.

"She was staying around and talking with people in Atlantic County," Turner said, explaining that the same pattern held at the next two events.

Turner said she regretted missing the convention and anticipated rescheduling. Buono has made at least three visits to Sussex County starting last May, including a Jan. 20 visit to Sparta to accept the endorsement of the Sussex County Democratic Women's Caucus.

The day after the March 23 convention, Sussex Democratic chairman Michael Busche criticized the New Jersey Herald for leading its news story with Buono missing the event. The headline called her a "no-show."

Busche sent two mass emails urging Democrats to write letters of complaint. Two were published Thursday, a third Friday and another appears in today's Herald.

Busche, in an interview, said the story should have led with "high turnout" at the convention and a speech by former Rep. Andrew Maguire, who may run against Republican Rep. Scott Garrett next year.

There are two problems with Busche's logic.

Outside of political insiders, few are focusing on a congressional election 19 months away, and Maguire previously disclosed his possible interest in running.

As for the high turnout, it is reasonable to assume many in attendance were there to see Buono. Selby said the date and time of the convention were coordinated with Buono's campaign.

A final invitation on the Sussex Democrats' Facebook page on the morning of the convention made no mention of Maguire or Rep. Frank Pallone, who also addressed the convention.

It read, "You can watch an interview with Senator Barbara Buono that Blue Jersey just posted. Or, you can acttualy (sic) see and hear her in person at two o'clock at the Sussex County Democratic Convention."

Buono was the draw. Not Maguire, Pallone or the three already announced Democrats running for the state Legislature.

Sussex Democrats, quite reasonably, made Buono the lead. Then, when she did not appear, Busche criticized the Herald for leading with her absence.

The Herald reporter who wrote the story provided an extensive, balanced account of the convention, including remarks by Pallone and other Democrats.

None of the Sussex Democrats appear to be holding Buono's missed visit against her, nor should they. New Jersey is the nation's most densely populated state, and it is not unusual for candidates to fall behind schedule.

Through the fault of no one involved, Buono's absence became the focus.

Sometimes in politics, despite the best planning and intentions, things simply do not turn out as planned.